A Scarlet Christmas Carol
by Teala373
Summary: The Joes have gone their separate ways, but reunite in this re-telling of the Dickins' classic
1. Chapter 1

New Page 1

A Scarlet Christmas Carol

Chapter 1: Christmas Eve

By Teala373

"This is all Greek to me! I'll have Jerrica go over it when she comes in!" the redhead muttered as she threw the contract on her desk. She closed her eyes and began massaging her temples, hoping to ease some of her headache away.

She should be happy. She was a highly-sought after film actress with an impressive resume to her name. After her military career ended, she joined up with Starlight Music as a song writer. When the thriving company expanded their talents to cover the film industry as well, Shana O'Hara found herself an international sensation over night. Still, her life was miserable and empty.

She opened her eyes and was saddened to discover that they had landed on a photo of her and Lady Jaye smiling out on the airstrip. Narrowing her eyes, she slammed the picture frame down and fought back the tears lingering behind her lashes. She was grateful for the knock on her door that interrupted her thoughts.

"It's me!" Jerrica Benton, owner of Starlught Music and Film, and also her manager, walked in with a smile. "We have just a few things to run through and then I'll take the contract down to legal. I'm sure you didn't even try to tackle it."

Shana gave a small laugh. "I took a glance at the first paragraph and it made my head spin. Why can't they write in normal, conversational English?"

"Because that would be too easy, dear."

"What do you have for me?"

Jerrica flipped open her Palm Pilot. "The Holograms are shooting their new video next week. Since the song is from your film, you might want to put in a cameo appearance."

"Alright. Give me the stats."

"We're just going to shoot it downstairs in the regular studio and add lots of computer effects, so it won't be too big of an ordeal. Usual directors, Anthony Julian and Vivian Montgomery, though Vivian will be working more on the effects. Of course, Howard Sands will be producing, and I'll be there since you and the Holograms are my two biggest clients!"

"Ok - I'm in. I like that crew. What else?" Shana was glad that her personal assistant, Pilar entered because she could tell Jerrica was about to rattle off a list of things she needed to take care of.

"The usual - the Countess Du Voison wants you over in her latest show, Courtney called five times about the photo shoot, Regine needs to do another fitting, Kimber wants to go over lyrics with you, Marvin sent another invitation, Brad's show is coming to the airport, Rob's big race is this weekend, Ron would like to know if you plan on making any of his openings, and Conrad called... again." Jerrica took the contract off the desk and replaced it with a small stack of invitations and phone messages. "You can't ignore your friends forever. I'll be back for our meeting at 5."

Shana barely waited for her manager to leave before firing away at Pilar. Luckily, the young assistant was familiar with the codenames of her employer's military friends. Shana didn't seem to like to use their real names. "Schedule the Countess in for brunch next week and get a fitting time from Regine. I'll see Kimber later, so I'll deal with that." Shana seemed to be ending the conversation.

"Miss. O'Hara? What about the others?"

"What about the others?" she snapped, causing Pilar to take a step back.

"They continue to call and send letters each week..."

Shana sighed and waved her hand in impatience. "Fine, fine. Call Cover Girl's office and tell them I'm too busy to do a photo shoot. Call my brother Sean and have him stop at Roadblock's for me on his way to my dad's. Give Ace's airshow tickets and Cross Country's racing passes to my nephews. I won't be able to go to Dusty's gallery opening, but I'll send Kimber instead, she likes that sort of thing. Maybe my brother Michael will take her..."

"And what about Mr. Hauser?"

"I'm too busy to take or return his calls..."

"I'm running out of excuses to tell him."

"Well, just think of some more! I pay you enough! Is it that difficult to say that I'm busy and take a message?" Shana practically roared at her assistant. 

"Ms. Benton would also like me to remind you that you haven't talked to Mr. Faireborn in quite some time..."

"I'm sure Flint has no interest in talking to me!"

"Ms. Benton thinks..."

"He's fine! He has his family and I'm sure the boys keep in touch. If any of my military friends call or send messages, just deal with it accordingly and don't bother to inform me of it! I can't be bothered! That will be all!" Shana slammed her hands down on the desk as she pulled herself to her feet and stalked out of the room. Pilar sadly shook her head as she walked over to the phone and prepared to break the news to Shana's friends.

--

Conrad Hauser, formerly known as Duke, made his way to the back kitchen of CRB, the hottest restaurant in town. He smiled when he spotted Marvin Hinton wiping off his formica counter. 

"Roadblock! How are you?"

The former Joe strongman gave his old CO a hearty greeting. "You're back in town early!"

"I wanted to spend sometime with you guys before the big event tomorrow. Even though you reserved the ballroom for us, I know you still have to accommodate your other clients."

"Yes, you wouldn't believe how many people actually come in here on Christmas Day!"

'Well, it'll be nice to see some of the gang again..."

Marvin sighed. "I hope you didn't turn down spending Christmas with your family and fly halfway across the country just on the chance that Miss high-and-mighty film star might show up. She'll probably do the same thing she does every time I send her an invitation to come dine here - send Sean and say she's too busy to even remember that I own a restaurant!"

Conrad sighed. "Yeah, I guess Courtney's been having a hard time tracking her down. Brad, Rob, and Ron all invited her to the projects they're working on, but Ron said she hasn't made it to one of his shows yet. Says she always sends a friend."

"I don't know why we bother..."

"Because it's Scarlet! I know she's kept her distance the past few years, but I know the old Scarlet that we all love is still in there somewhere."

"Yeah, impossibly buried under 10 pounds of make-up and designer clothes!" Marvin snorted. "I'm going to give you some good advice, get on with your life and stop chasing after her. I know you want to resume your old relationship with her, but she's changed, Conrad."

Duke was surprised at Roadblock's bitterness, especially since he had been close with Scarlet, too. He must just have been upset, like they all had, that Scarlet had retreated into her own life and left them behind. 

--

It had been a long day of negotiating, contract signings, and dress fittings. People rushed to get their work done so they could go home and spend time with their families, but Shana wanted to continue working. She was scared to go home on Christmas Eve to an empty apartment. She had once again blown off going home for the holidays and she had absolutely no intention of going to CRB.

Quickly downing another another glass of brandy, Shana stumbled towards her bed and prepared to go to sleep early. She absolutely hated Christmas and wondered if drinking more brandy would help her sleep right through it. She cursed as the phone rang.

"What?" she harshly shouted as she picked it up.

"Miss O'Hara, I'm sorry to bother you, but Mr. Hauser is on the line again. He's in the neighborhood and would like to stop by..."

"For the last time Pilar," she could tell that she was starting to slur from the alcohol and also could feel sleep setting in, "make up some dopey excuse and get him off my back! I'm tired and I'm going to bed."

"Yes, Miss O'Hara. Oh, and since I won't see you tomorrow, Merry Christmas."

"Yeah, whatever." she slammed the phone down and threw herself onto the bed, falling fast asleep.

Five hours later, the clock struck midnight and the loud bells of the large grandfather clock in the hallway rang threw the entire apartment. 

Shana shot up in bed, her head swimming. "Damn, I don't remember that stupid clock being so loud. Feng Shui my ass - I'm gonna kill that stupid interior decorator!" She swung her feet over the side of the bed and padded out into the hallway, preparing to rip the guts out of the clock. Something white caught the corner of her eye and she turned to see Lady Jaye dressed in white robes standing in her living room. Shana screamed.

"Geez, Scarlet! I forgot how loud those pipes of yours could be! Tone it down, you'll wake the dead!"

Shana looked at her best friend in shock. "Oh dear God, I'm never going to drink that much before bed again! Now I'm hallucinating!"

"You're not hallucinating. I'm really here."

"You can't really be here - you're dead. I should know, it was my fault..."

Lady Jaye cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow. "How is it your fault that my plane had engine trouble and crashed into the Atlantic?"

Shana sighed. "You wouldn't have been on that plane if I hadn't sent you the ticket to come visit me in Paris! If I had just listened to you and stayed with you in Covert Ops instead of starting a different career, we would have been together and you wouldn't have ever been in that crash!"

"Shana, that's not your fault..."

"Oh why the hell an I talking to you? You're just a figment of my imagination anyway. I need sleep." She spun on her heel and prepared to go back to bed, but the door to her bedroom slammed shut and locked. "What the hell..."

"Listen to me Scarlet! You are not hallucinating or dreaming. I've come from beyond to give you a serious warning and a second chance."

Shana turned around to once again face the image of her best friend. "LJ? Is it really you?"

"Yes, honey, it is."

Scarlet ran towards her, preparing to give her a hug, but all she touched was thin air as she fell right through her best friend. She picked herself up off the floor and looked at her friend with sad, shocked eyes.

"I'm a ghost Scarlet. Unfortunately, I can't hug you, but I can help you."

"Help me?" Scarlet looked at her friend with confusion.

"Yes. Your life is going down the toilet and if you don't clean up your act, you're going to..."

"Wait a minute! How is my life going down the toilet? I'm a famous actress! I have millions of dollars and tons of adoring fans!"

"Empty materialism. It doesn't mean anything. And stop with that fake bitchy facade. You need to start letting the old Scarlet shine through again."

Shana looked down at the floor and gave a long sigh. "She died four years ago with her best friend."

"She's not dead yet, but she could be. The future is not looking good for you, Scarlet, and like it or not, you're getting my help. You're going to be visited by three spirits that will show you the past, present, and future. If you don't learn your lesson and get it together, you'll be confined to a miserable existence."

"Big deal, I live that now..."

"Because you make it that way!" Lady Jaye snapped. "Man, I never knew you got so pessimistic when you drank!"

"Do you know how hard it's been since you've been gone!" Shana cried, blinking back tears.

"Yes, I do. I'm dead, remember! I have to live without you, too, and I've been watching you self destruct. Don't you see that's why I'm here? I want to help you!"

"Sorry, LJ, but no one can help me now."

"Well, I'm not giving up on you yet." Snapping her fingers, Lady Jaye caused Scarlet to fall to the floor in slumber. While she was sleeping, the ghost made her way into the bathroom and used her powers to make a bottle of prescription pills disappear. "Honestly, your addiction to these things will kill you faster than anything!" she muttered as she made her way back to the living room. She took one more look at her slumbering friend before disappearing into the night, ready to send the first spirit.


	2. Chapter 2

A Scarlet Christmas Carol

A Scarlet Christmas Carol

Chapter 2: A Technical Haunting

By Teala373

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Duke slammed down the phone, cutting off Pilar in the middle of her excuse why Scarlet wouldn't talk to him. From his hotel room, he had a fairly good view of the redhead's room, and he saw that she was awake. He had half a mind to go bang on her door and demand that she see him. Come hell or high water, he was going to get his old Scarlet back. She was too special to lose and try as he might, he couldn't stand living without her.

The first few months after Joe disbanded were the worst. The team had been a family and were allowed quite of bit of leisure and luxury that the military would otherwise squash. They were alone and left to govern themselves on the secluded, top secret base. The base had originally been constructed to house two units, but when Joe alone proved to be enough, the extra space was used to have as many recreational rooms as there were dormitories. The foose table and air hockey room, the poker room, the music room, the dance hall, the Playstation room, the pool table room, Dusty's mini art gallery, Cover Girl's dressing room... their off time had been the best of times. He remembered a stuffed Cobra uniform hanging from the rafters of the mess hall with 'Snake Barbeque' painted across the chest and hysterical mocks of Cobra Commander and Serpentor plastering the walls of one of the meeting rooms. Scarlet and Lady Jaye had stenciled a border in Flint's office to look like his sports car and Duke proudly displayed the annual team roster pictures where they all made funny faces for the camera. Scoop's home videos of the Joes' sports events and other hilarious moments had filled a shelf in the TV lounge. Homemade trophies from rowdy games decorated many rooms and 'Scarlet's DoJoe' was painted across the entrance to a room filled with some memorable martial arts lessons. Cover Girl's tank had purple trim on the interior and her stylized logo stamped on the outside. A stolen Hiss Tank was repainted to look like the Mystery Machine and Hawk had lost count of the numerous phone pranks he received or how many times Ace made him laugh with his Colonel Sharp impressions. And there had been other good times, too - good times with Scarlet...

Duke had liked Scarlet from Day 1. How could he not? She was absolutely amazing. He couldn't help but to use his rank in order to pair them both together in nearly every assignment. As the memories came flooding back, he leaned against the cold window pane. A dark shadow passed over the moon as the stars began to glitter angrily. It had been a long time since he had seen a night like this. He stared at the sky for a long time, all the while wondering about Scarlet...

~~~~~~~~~~

A series of beeps accompanied the chiming bells of the clock as the hour of one rolled around. Scarlet's eyelids fluttered open at the sounds. She looked around, taking a minute to realize where she was.

"What the hell happened?" she muttered as she groggily struggled to get up off the floor of the sitting room. She couldn't understand how she had ended up on the floor. "That had to have been just a dream... it couldn't have been real..." 

Attempting to walk back to her bedroom, Scarlet noticed that the coffee table housed her laptop - a laptop that was out, open, and on. Puzzled, since she couldn't remember unpacking it, Scarlet plopped down on the sofa in front of it. As she reached for the power button, she noticed the picture displayed on the screen. It was 'year 3' of the G.I. Joe team. She paused to stare at it, tears threatening to linger in her eyes. They were all so happy then... 

Suddenly, the image began to change and distort. Scarlet jumped back from the computer, as though it had become hot. The words 'you are not alone' began to scroll across the screen. She slammed the laptop and stood from the couch. She yanked the cord from the wall and swiftly headed towards the door, desperately needing to find anyone to stay with. 

It was something out of a bad movie. The doors were locked and wouldn't open. The telephone was dead. Her cell phone wouldn't work. The lights went on and off and on and off and then off for good. She began to panic, especially when the radio went on and then off, then the TV, and then all electronically devices. She was about to go out of her mind with fright when everything suddenly shut off. The only sound was her harsh, frightened breathing. She fell to the couch, clutching her chest, desperately trying to regain her senses. And then there was a light. It was her laptop.

"Impossible!" she cried. "I - I closed it... unplugged it..."

The screen went blue and a white prompt appeared, soon followed by words.

_Scarlet, I am surprised at you. You were never scared of anything in your whole life. Of course, it was a riot to see you flip out over flashing lights._

Scarlet glared angrily at the words. "This is either a really bad dream or a seriously tripped-out stalker!"

_Neither. Try again. I'll give you best two out of three._

She was surprised to find the words on the screen matching the statement she had just muttered to herself. "Who are you? What the hell do you want?"

_Tsk-tsk, Red! Is that anyway to greet one your old friends? Lady Jaye sent me to help you._

"No no no!" Scarlet screamed. "I'm still stuck in this lunatic nightmare! Damn it! I need to wake up!" She began to stand up when a familiar voice cut through the air.

"Aw, c'mon, Red! The fun's just beginning!"

Looking down to the screen, Scarlet nearly gasped as a familiar face flashed a shining grin at her.

"Breaker?"

"Glad to see you still remember me! We only spent hours pulling control room shifts - not to mention all the quality time we got over that whole 'Pit of Vipers' incident!"

Scarlet rubbed at her swollen eyes. "This can't be happening! Why am I having hallucinations about all my dead friends?"

Breaker's face became more serious. "This is real Scarlet. We're all worried about you - especially LJ. Like it or not, we're going to try and save you from a very bleak future that is right around the corner."

A red eyebrow arched upwards. "I, uh, appreciate the concern from the figments of my imagination, but I'm doing just fine, thanks."

She stood then, determined to get some real sleep, but she came face to face with an angry Lady Jaye.

"When are you going to understand that this isn't your wayward imagination?! This is real Scarlet! I'm not going to watch you self destruct any longer. You are coming with us and learning your lesson once and for all!"

Shocked at the angry force of the words, Scarlet reeled back, tripped over the coffee table, and fell right into the waiting arms of Breaker, who swiftly pulled her into her laptop screen. From that point on, Scarlet found herself in a whirlwind of blurry images.

"What the---"

"Next stop, Atlanta, Georgia!"

Scarlet looked at Breaker in surprise. "You're taking me home?"

"Yep - a home that you've seemed to forgotten about."

"I-I've been busy!"

"Riiiiiiiiight...."

"Breaker! I don't want to go home!"

"Sorry, Red, but I take my orders from LJ, and she says that you're first trip to the past is back to your hometown."

"Trip to the past?"

"Yep! Think of me as the Ghost of Christmas Past. I get to take you on a trip down memory lane."

The whirlwind soon stopped and Scarlet found herself in her old bedroom back home. It was decorated exactly the way she remembered it from when she was seven. Martial Arts awards hung on the walls, a pair of grass-stained jeans were tossed in the corner, and a young girl stood proudly in front of a large mirror practicing high kicks.

"Oh my... that's me!"

Breaker laughed. "Yep - there you are on Christmas Eve practicing your trademark moves. Looks like you were always a little firecracker!"

Before Scarlet could respond, the bedroom door opened and a beautiful woman stepped inside. "Shana, honey, time to get ready for dinner."

Scarlet's lower lip trembled as tears sprung to her eyes. "Mooom!" the choke sob warbled from her throat as she ran forward. But, like when she tried to hug Lady Jaye, she went right through her. 

Breaker sighed sadly. "Sorry, Red, but we're just visiting. They can't hear or see us. It's like we're not here."

Scarlet hovered close to her mother, staring at her as though she were an angel. "She was always so beautiful..." she whispered, "I miss her so much..." Tear spilled down her face as she continued to gaze lovingly at her. 

--------- 

Breaker sighed wearily as a very glum Scarlet stood by his side. He had taken Scarlet through several years of O'Hara Christmas memories, but his companion seemed more upset than inspired. 

"Ya know, Red, the purpose of showing you these points in your past was supposed to cheer you up and make you remember happier times. They're supposed to make you want to run out and see your family again, not make you depressed!" 

Scarlet chocked back a few more tears. "Can I just go home, now? I'll do whatever the hell it is that you people want me to do - just get me out of here!" 

A gush of cold air announced Lady Jaye's presence as she materialized before Scarlet. "We are not 'you people' - we are your friends and we want to help you! Why can't you realize this? We want you to remember who the real Scarlet is and bring her back!" 

"LJ..." 

"Listen, Breaker has a few more places to take you. Maybe these places will help bring back your smile." 

Before Scarlet could respond, both Lady Jaye and Breaker had disappeared. Looking around, Scarlet realized where she had been dropped off - her first Christmas on Joe Base. 


	3. Chapter 3

A Scarlet Christmas Carol

A Scarlet Christmas Carol

Chapter 3

By Teala373

~~~~~~~~~~

Breaker took a sidelong look at Scarlet. Though she was quiet, a small smile crept across her face as she relived her first Christmas on the Joe Base. The team had just come together in the Spring, so they hadn't even known each other a full year. A battered Christmas tree with a hodgepodge of handmade decorations slumped in the corner of the main rec room while tinsel garlands hung from the ceiling. Roadblock placed another plate of cookies that he had whipped up the table as the Joes were gathering around to watch 'It's a Wonderful Life'. 

Scarlet watched as her former self happily munched on popcorn while watching the movie. She was surprised, though to discover that Duke was staring at her through the whole movie. "I didn't know he was doing that..." she murmured to herself as she watched his intense blue eyes never moving off its target.

"If there wasn't a Christmas theme going here, I could show you plenty of other times he did things like that."

Scarlet felt her cheeks burn pink as she turned to throw a questioning look Breaker's way.

"Oh, c'mon on, Scarlet," he rolled his eyes for emphasis, "Don't even try to deny it!"

"Well... there was a little... thing between Duke and I.... but, it was just a light, casual... I wouldn't even call it a relationship! I was only natural since I was one of very few girls and he was my commanding officer. Really, it was nothing. I'm surprised by this," she gestured towards Duke's long, intense looks.

"You really are a piece of work, Red! Lady Jaye's got her work cut out for her! Your relationship with Duke was much more than that and you know it, but it's not my job to convince you of that. I have one more Christmas to show you..."

In a small flash of colors, the first Christmas on Joe base disappeared. They were now standing out on the air field. The image showed Scarlet running towards a helicopter while a light dusting of snow fell all around the base. Wild Bill waved from the cockpit as she approached. She waved back as she lightly jogged towards the open side door. 

"What is this?" the current Scarlet asked Breaker, not quite remembering the scene.

"How heavy is the dosage of those sleeping pills you take? This was your last Christmas on Joe base. Remember? You were called away in the middle of Christmas dinner for an assignment switch. It was one of the last times we all saw you before Jaye's death."

"Oh..." her voice had become small at the mention of her friend's tragedy. She remained silent as she watched the scene unfold. She was beginning to remember how it went...

"SCARLET!" a voice called out over the noise of the helicopter. Scarlet was almost to the door, but whirled around to see Duke running very fast towards her. She flashed a bright smile and waved back at him.

When he reached her, he scooped her up in a tight, breath taking hug and buried his face in her fiery locks. He then pulled back enough to give her a long kiss. Her hair flew about them from the wind of the copter as the small snow flakes sparkled in the setting sun as they flittered downward. 

"I - I forgot to tell you something..." Duke huskily whispered as he pulled back to gaze into her eyes. His hand cupped her face, his thumb gently caressing her cheek.

"I think you've said enough," Scarlet breathlessly replied, taken aback by the powerful kiss.

Unwrapping one arm from around her waist, Duke reached into his pocket and pulled out a glittering object. Before Scarlet could say another word, he took a step back and clasped a beautiful diamond pendant on a gold chain around her neck. 

"This isn't the end," he breathed into her ear, "I want to see this on you again. Promise me you'll come back."

She practically chocked on her words as she tried to form them and release the air from her throat. "Of course. I'm not losing you, either, whether you like it or not!"

He chuckled lightly as he admired the necklace that he toiled over for months as a perfect present for her. "Merry Christmas, Scarlet... I love you..."

"I love you, too..." 

They then reached for each other in another soul searing kiss.

Breaker turned towards his charge and found several emotions he couldn't quite decipher hardened on her face. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Scarlet shook her head as she snapped out of her reverie. "It... it was a long time ago. Duke and I... are no longer 'Duke and I'. Take me home."

"You never saw him again after this, did you?"

"I said take me home."

"You promised him it wasn't the end."

"Take me home!"

Breaker put up his hands defensively. "Fine, fine... but after your next two visits, you're going to wish you'd stayed with me."

----------

Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, Scarlet waited for the images to stop blurring before she realized that she was back in her hotel room. She was laying in a most uncomfortable position between the couch and the coffee table. Grumbling as she pulled herself up, she situated herself on the couch and rubbed her throbbing forehead. 

"What a crazy dream! No more sweets before bed..."

Her thoughts were interrupted by the loud, bellowing tones of the grandfather clock. She angrily glared at it and was surprised to find it was two in the morning. 

"Ugh! I really need some sleep!" She slowly staggered towards her bedroom and was utterly annoyed to find it locked. "What the hell..."

"Sorry Scarlet, but you're not going to bed yet!"

Whirling around at the sound of a familiar voice behind her, Scarlet was surprised to see Barbeque, in full gear, sitting on the armrest of the couch she had just vacated. She tried to scream, but it died in her throat.

"Now don't start with that whole dream nonsense again! We're on a tight schedule! Breaker took way too much time!"

Shaking her head, Scarlet tried to say 'no', but soon found herself lost in a sea of bright colors. When her eyes readjusted, she and Barbeque were standing in a small, sparsely decorated apartment that she didn't recognize.

"W-Where are we?" she asked, too tired to argue.

"You'll see - just watch."

She turned to look at the friendly face. "If you're here, then you're dead, too... like Breaker and Lady Jaye."

"Yep. Dead as a doornail! Out of control fire." 

"I hope it wasn't another one of those wild parties that you know how to throw," she smiled despite herself, remembering events of long ago.

Barbeque smiled. "Nah... some crazy things happed at my parties, but homicide wasn't one of them. I volunteered with my dad's team back home and we got caught in a nasty arson incident on the docks back home."

"I'm sorry... I didn't even know..."

"Well, if you answered your phone calls you might have. It was a nice funeral, too. I was honored and all that."

"I'm sure you were. You were always a great firefighter!"

A figure entered the room, ending their conversation. He was unkept and haggard. Bags had formed under what were once handsome eyes and every ounce of his body seemed to droop. Yanking a bottle of whisky off a shelf. The man sat down on his sofa and began to drink.

"What's going on?" Scarlet asked Barbeque.

He sighed in response. "While Breaker showed you Christmas' past, I am here to show you the Christmas present. This is how one person you were once close to spends his Christmas."

"Who is this? I don't recognize this man."

"Go take a closer look."

Walking around the sofa to get a better look, Scarlet stood before the depressed figure. He pulled a picture out of his back pocket and began to shed tears as he gazed at it. The picture was of Lady Jaye.

"Oh my God! It can't be! Flint?"


	4. Chapter 4

A Scarlet Christmas Carol

A Scarlet Christmas Carol

Chapter 4

By Teala373

~~~~~~~~~~

Scarlet was completely stunned that the dejected, broken man before her was truly Flint. He had always been so strong, so confident. He had that quick wit, adventurous smile, and boyish charm that won him many friends, not to mention the heart of a beautiful lady. Flint had been like a brother to her. He and Lady Jaye always spent so much time with she and Duke. She couldn't believe that this man - this bright, intelligent, wonderful man - would end up living in some whole in the wall, drinking himself to death. 

"This can't be right!" She turned to send a skeptical and angry eye towards Barbeque, "Even if the Flint I know allowed personal tragedy to bring about his downfall, his friends and family wouldn't have allowed him to do this to himself! Where are Duke and Roadblock and Dusty and Cover Girl! You don't honestly think that you can lead me to believe that because I went off to be a star is the soul reason Flint is sitting here drowning in a bottle of Jack!"

Barbeque sighed. "Flint did a very good job putting on a brave face. A female that was as close to him as you were would have spotted it. He finally picked up and took off, rolling with the wind. It's very hard for them to track him as he moves around from construction job to construction job. Perhaps if the person who had been like a sister to both him and Lady Jaye had been there for him..."

"How can this be all my fault?!" Scarlet screamed. She felt bad, downright terrible, for Flint, and it was this guilt, hanging around her neck like a noose, that was causing her defensive, angry response.

Barbeque, keen on where she was coming from, remained patient. "No one is blaming you, Scarlet. We just want you to see what has happened to your friends once you abandoned them..."

"Abandoned?!" 

He cut her off, raising a hand to silence her. "Scarlet, you were very important to these people, to all of us. Did you honestly think that you could disappear from their lives and they wouldn't miss you, wouldn't need you? Did you honestly think that you didn't need them? Miss them? I'm trying to show you why you need to change and reacquaint yourself with your family! Not just your father and brothers, but the Joes, too!"

"Now wait a minute, I see my father and my brothers - I send them money and I give them tickets and..."

"Spending short clips of time and giving them material possessions in place of your time is not 'being with your family'. Nothing ever comes out of being alone. You need friends and family, whether you want to admit it or not. You can't keep running away from Lady Jaye's death or the guilt you feel about it. You need to get on with your life - and being a grumpy celebrity, as successful as it is, is not how to move forward."

Scarlet raised an eyebrow. "No offense, but being dead sure has given you some depth."

Barbeque laughed heartily. "That's just what LJ said!"

They both enjoyed a good chuckle over that till Barbeque announced that they had to move on to their next location. Giving one last long look at Flint, Scarlet sighed as they were once again whisked away.

-------

The sound of clinking silverware and endless chatter filled her ears as she waited for the whirlwind of colors to fade away. When her eyes readjusted, she realized that she was standing in the middle of a very nice restaurant.

"Wow! Where are we? This place looks fabulous!"

Barbeque shook his head. "It's a place you should recognize because you should have been here before."

Ignoring him, Scarlet continued walking around the restaurant. She noticed a familiar group of faces sitting in what appeared to be one of the best areas of the restaurant. A stunning Courtney Krieger, in full celebrity-supermodel attire was daintily nibbling on her Caesar salad while making small talk with Brad Armbruster, Ronald Rudat, and Etienne Lafiette. All of them looked well. Courtney was as beautiful as ever, Brad was not only more handsome, but he seemed to have an air of sophistication about him, Ron still had those boyish, charming Southern-boy looks, and Etienne looked fabulous in a smart, casual Armani look.

"I don't believe it!" Scarlet whispered as she smiled despite herself, "I can't even remember the last time I even saw Cover Girl, Ace, Dusty, and Gung-Ho!"

Barbeque sighed. "Well, if you didn't delete their e-mails, fail to return their phone calls, and pawn off their invitations to your brothers and co-workers..." He was soon met with a rather nasty look.

"Things change!" came her flippant remark as she prepared to leave. However, she stopped in mid stride as she began to overhear their conversation. 

"This Scarlet Chicken dish is delicious! Roadblock made a good call naming it after one of our favorite gals!" Dusty's good natured humor hadn't dimmed one bit since last she'd seen him. 

Courtney sighed. "Yeah... it's too bad she's never tried it herself.... I really miss her. We were all so close. Do you think she'll show tomorrow." She was met with silence as everyone suddenly took a rather large interest in their meals. 

"I... don't know..." Ace dared to break the silence, "I think that maybe she's... ya know... carrying around pain and stuff since Jaye..."

Gung-Ho cleared his throat. "Yeah... uh... she really did change after that... I kinda got the distinct impression she really didn't want anything to do with us after all that."

"Well, she can't just write us off forever! We're... we're family damn it!" Courtney's outburst was firm, but still low as they were in a public place.

"What's with all the long faces?" The table looked up to see Marvin Hinton, who still went by Roadblock, setting another mouth-watering dish on the table.

"We... were talking about Scarlet... wondering if she'd show..."

The great man stiffened at the name of a woman that he had been incredibly close, considered family, like a sister. "If she does show, she better not cause any trouble. Oh, what am I saying, you know Sean or Michael are going to make an appearance in her place!"

"C'mon, RB, you can't be sore with her like that," Ace began.

"Yeah, well, wait till you trip on another piece of Duke's heart and have to pick it up. Maybe you won't be wanting to stick up for her then," he tried to compose himself as he lifted the wine bottle off the table and topped off their glasses, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some other customers I'd like to see to."

Scarlet remained silent throughout the entire exchange. She continued to remain silent when Barbeque began taking them to a new location - a tastefully decorated hotel room in beige and cerulean. 

"It's nice, Barbeque, but unfortunately, you got the wrong room. As a matter of fact, I don't even think you have the right hotel."

The fireman laughed. "I'm not trying to take you home, Scarlet. This is your last stop on my shift."

Before Scarlet could respond, the man she had been so desperately trying to ignore walked in and sat down on the edge of he bed. His classically handsome face with fine, chiseled features were still alighted atop a beautifully crafted, well-sculpted build. His eyes were different, though. They weren't bright, lively, full of adventure, full of hope, of purpose, of honor, or everything that was ever right... They were somber... melancholy...

"Duke..." she breathed as tears slowly crept to the corners of her eyes. 


End file.
